Filing-cabinet.



W. J. THOMPSON.

FILING CABINET.

APPLIOATION FILED 0013.23, 1913.

1,083,??6. v Patented Ja.11.6,1914.

gimme 14M NJ Thompson,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (to-,WASHINGTDN, D- C STATES AN FILING-CABINET.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM J. THOMP- SON, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Filing-Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My present invention relates to filing cabinets, and has for its purposeto provide an arrangement whereby the articles to be filed may bedistributed with convenience and despatch, and the several accumulationsof the distributed articles readily removed when desired.

The further object of the invention is to provide a filing cabinetespecially adapted for assorting names, or addresses, in accordance witha geographical arrangement, wherein the cards or plates are by gravitystacked in piles in a series of vertically-arranged and independentreceptacles, and said receptacles being removable for rendering theseparate groups instantly available.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and inwhich similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views :'Figure 1 is a perspective view of the filing cabinetcomplete; Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of the receptaclesor drawers; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the follower; andFig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the construction in further detail, the apparatus consistsof a desk, or table, 1, having its top 2 provided with a series oftransversely-intersecting rows of apertures adapted to receive theseveral drawers, or receptacles, 3, and hold the same in verticalarrangement, to the end that the cards, or plates, to be filed will, bygravity, be assembled in vertically-arranged boxes.

The several receptacles 3 are adapted to have printed'thereon the names,or initial letters, of the several States of the Union, as in the mannerindicated in Fig. 1. By this provision all of the cards of any one Stateare grouped in one pack, to the end that the same may be removed intheir entirety and delivered to the printing, or stencilin machine foraddressing the envelops of wrappers to be mailed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 23, 1913.

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 796,934.

Each of the drawers or receptacles 3 comprises an elongated boxconstructed of any suitable material, and has one face thereof cut awayintermediate the side edges to provide a pair of strips 4 and 5 whichserve as retaining means to hold the cards, or plates, in their stackedformation. And the opening 6 between said strips, which extendslengthwise of the drawer, permits of the ready removal of the pile orstack of cardswhen desired.

The lower end of the drawer is closed by a bottom piece 7 and the upperend thereof is left open to receive the distributed cards, as will beunderstood.

The edges of the drawer walls and the retaining strips 4 and 5 arebeveled, as indicated at 8, whereby to provide an enlarged opening toreceive the cards or plates, as will be understood. Each drawer isprovided with a follower consisting of a pair of side pieces 9 and 10connected by corner blocks 11 to provide a chamber. A pair of frictionblocks 12 and 13 is mounted in said chamber, and have their distant endsprojecting through the end openings between the side pieces 9 and 10,whereby to frictionally engage with the inner side surfaces of thedrawer, as in the manner shown in Fig. 4. Said blocks 12 and 13 are heldin frictional engagement with the drawer by means of a spring 14, thatfits within opposed recesses 15 formed in the adjacent ends of theblocks. With this arrangement, it will be readily seen that the followermay lengthwise of the drawer, and will be frictionally held in suchposition under the influence of the spring 14;.

In use, the several drawers are set vertically within the desk or table,and have their open ends projecting sufliciently above the top 2 thereofto expose the designating characters, and as the cards or plates aredistributed a slight downward push will exert sufficient influence onthe follower to cause the same to gradually move downwardly until thedrawer is full. The several drawers being independent may be removed andreplaced at will, as required.

The system and apparatus disclosed herein is submitted to beparticularly of value to publishers, for in filing away the names oftheir new subscribers, as the same are received, each days work may besimply distributed in the several drawers and at the be moved to anydesired position end of the month, or other period, the new and openfronts, whereby to respectively subscribers received are instantlyavailable.

It is obvious that other changes might be made in the herein describedconstruction Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a main section havinga horizontal surface,

said surface having a plurality of apertures formed therein; and aplurality of verti- Cally-disposed receiving boxes fitting Within saidmain section and projecting through said apertures, said boxes havingrespectively open and closed ends, and the open ends thereof beingexposed above said horizontal surface and adapted to receive thearticles for filing, substantially as described.

2. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a main section having ahorizontal surface, said surface having a plurality of apertures formedtherein; and a plurality of vertically-disposed receiving boxes fittingWithin said main section and-projecting through said apertures, saidboxes having open ends receive the individual articles for filing andpermit of the removal of the same in bulk, substantially as described.

'3. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a main section having ahorizontal surface, said surface having transversely-intersecting rowsof apertures formed therein; and a plu- I r'ality of vertically-disposedreceiving boxes fitting Within said main section and projecting throughsaid apertures; said boxes having open fronts, and open and closed endsrespectively; the box edges at the open ends being beveled to provideenlarged openings for readily receiving the individual articles forfiling, and the open box fronts permitting of the removal of said filedarticles in bulk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of tWoWitnesses.

WILLIAM J. THOMPSON.

YVit'nesses:

DOONAN, C. SINGLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 'for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

